Boxoffice-October.01.1955

TIES PROMOTION TO ACTIVITIES
Continued from preceding page
is the only type of twin drive-in theatre.'
Basically, the 'twin' idea Is not for the
purpose of greater capacity. It is almost
entirely for the purpose of creating a
superior type of operation. A 'twin' of this
type will do 20 per cent more business because
of your ability to reach an audience
that rebels against double features, where
they have to sit through one picture they
have already seen in order to see the one
they haven't viewed.
"The twin operation enables patrons to
see the attraction they are interested in
without waiting. If they come in the middle
of the picture, they move their car to the
opposite .screen at the end of the picture
and pick it up from the beginning.
ADVANTAGE OF
COMMON BOOTH
McClain pointed out another advantage
of having a common projection booth centered
between two screens. "With the booth
and concessions thus located." he said, "we
are free to use an abundance of attractive
lighting which gives the place a warm
atmosphere."
Only one screen was ready for last summer,
serving 300 cars. Mounted on a tower
of pine poles set in concrete and braced
with welded drill stem steel, the 41x82-foot
screen was constructed of center match,
covered with felt and faced with Transite.
The Ranch House, housing both projection
booth and concessions area, is a 20x50-
foot structure at the center of the ninth
row of ramps. Pine paneling, plywood and
Formica are combined in counters served by
three employes. Three Selmix ice-cooled
heads. Star electric stove. Hot Point deep
fry, Manley popcorn machine, F^-igidaire
deep freeze and refrigerators comprise
McClain's concessions equipment.
Simplex equipment Is employed throughout
the projection, sound and speaker
system.
McClain repeated the split log construc-
Housing projection booth and concessions unit of tfte Twin Rancfi Drive-ln, ttie "Rancfi House," of splitlog
construction will stand midway between two screens when the theatre is completed. Both screens
will be served from the common projection booth in this twin operation.
tion of the Ranch House in the theatre's
boxoffice. Attached to exterior walls of
this building are two porcelain 40x60-inch
frames for coming attractions. There is a
panel of six 40x60's at the entrance, always
giving a week's program in advance and
lighted throughout hours of darkness.
The boxoffice is centered between four
pairs of gates opening for entrances and
exits in the 10,000 feet of Anchor fencing
surrounding the theatre tract. Five feet
high, the fence is double-barbed on eightfoot
posts set 24 inches in the ground.
The kiddy playground is just inside the
fence at the entrance, a well-lighted area
safe from traffic yet so remote from the
theatre area proper that playground noises
do not interfere with enjoyment of the
show.
The Twin Ranch's attraction board once
fronted the Telenews Theatre in Dallas.
McClain had the board moved to Houston
where the Texas Neon Sign Co. converted
it for its present position and made the
installation at Twin Ranch. McClain invested
$10,000 in tlie board, its supporting
Structure and landscaping about it. "Had
the whole thing been new, though," he
says, "it would have run $20,000." Adler
letters are used on the board.
Shrubs in the attraction board flower
boxes, along with the theatre's rose garden
and Bermuda grass turf on the golf
course contribute much beauty to the drivein's
setting. So do the groves of trees Mc-
Clain left standing around tlie theatre's
perimeter.
A SHOWMAN SINCE THE 20's
McClain, whose first theatre job was as
a drummer cueing silent pictures at the
Sanders, Indianapolis, in the early 20's, has
been managing Texas theatres with only
minor digressions since 1931. That year
he broke in at Bay City, working for the
circuit operated by his uncle, Johnny Long.
When he told friends of plans to build
the Twin Ranch, they cautioned him to
invest no more than $35,000 in a drive-in.
McClain's spirit of showmanship, nourished
through three decades of devotion
to the theatre, would not compromise.
When the Twin Ranch opened, the Texas
showman had $100,000 invested in it and
estimated that $40,000 more would be
needed to complete his plans.
"But I know that you can't stay in
.show business unless you have a place
people enjoy going to," said McClain. "Good
pictures alone will not do the business
"
They have to be shown in good theatres
Glen McClain, thea
trc owner manager
who doubles as manager
of Cleveland,
Tex., Chamber of
Commerce, stands
beside the ranchstyle
boxoffice of his
$100,000 Twin Driveln,
entertainment
center of five Texas
counties. The boxoffice
is
centered between
two entrance
and two exit lanes.
To Make Awards for Photos
I-ightocn m(>dals will be awarded by the
L'Olh Hocliesler International Salon ol
Fliotography, Inc., with Feb. 5. 1956, th(
closing date for entry of photographs ii
five contest sections. Subjects for tin
various sections will be pictorial print'^
monochrome and color: nature print.'
monochrome and color; pictorial colo
'lide.s 2x2 inches; nature color slides, 2x
inches, and stereo color slides, l''8x4 inche:'
mounted for projection. Data and entr
forms may be obtained from Jack Stolf
282 Bellehurst Drive, Rochester 17. N. '
38
The MODERN THEATRE SECTIO